Multipathway product distribution system and method

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for dividing a single stream of long, sticky product into a plurality of product streams, comprising a product input conduit for providing a single stream of product, and having a rough portioner disposed therein for dividing the stream of product into discrete portions. The discrete portions are then dropped into a first diverter mechanism comprised of a reciprocating slide block mechanism, which selectively directs the discrete portions into two outlet streams. Additional diverter mechanisms may be disposed in the outlet streams to further divide and redirect the product into any number of final outlet streams, such as four, eight, etc. The final outlet streams are directed toward container filling machines which precisely measure the product and place it into containers as desired. The multipathway product distribution system is controlled by a computerized logic controller which can accommodate the failure of any one or more container filling machines in any combination by stopping flow to any combination of final outlet conduits while maintaining uninterrupted operation of the remainder of the system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to product filling machines for packaging foodproducts and the like. More particularly, the present invention relatesto an improved system for dividing a single product flow into multiplepathways in order to supply multiple product packaging machines.

2. State of the Art

In the food production and packaging industry, products known as longgoods typically require special handling. Long goods include productssuch as spaghetti, linguini, and fettuccini and similar products. Theseproducts present unique handling problems because of their length andflexibility, and also because they are typically sticky. Thesecharacteristics make it difficult to handle and package the productwithout damaging it, such as by cutting or crushing noodles. Those inthe industry will understand that each increment of damage to theproduct causes a corresponding reduction in the value of the finalproduct. Accordingly, product handling and packaging operations arejudged by two criteria: speed and lack of damage to the product.

In view of these twin criteria, dividing a large continuous stream oflong goods, such as cooked spaghetti, into a plurality of smallerstreams presents unique difficulties. In the product packaging industry,it is well known to divide a stream of product into several smallerstreams and divert those smaller streams to individual packagingmachines. For example, this approach is routinely used with dry orgranular products such as nuts, berries, hard candies, or cigarettes.This approach is also used with liquid or mostly liquid products such assoup, stew, fruit cocktail, etc. In such operations, the product stream,normally flowing or rolling in an open conduit, is redirected by meansof diversion gates which move from one position to another to send theentire flow of product down one or the other of two branching channels.A series of such gates can be used to divide one stream into many.

While a system of diversion gates works well with granular or liquidproducts, it is not suitable for long goods such as cooked spaghetti forseveral reasons. First, the long noodles tend to snag on the diversiongate, either preventing the gate from closing completely, or causing thenoodles to be cut and damaged. This system also tends to cause clogsbecause the entire flow is diverted all at once, rather than just aportion of the flow. Additionally, the noodles which snag on thediversion gates also tend to cause clogs. All of these failures of priorart product diversion systems result in lost time, lost product, andneedless maintenance effort and expense.

Additionally, prior art product stream diversion methods frequentlycannot adequately cope with sudden changes in the system. For example,where a product diversion system is configured to divide one stream intofour to supply four container filling machines, if one of the fourfilling machines malfunctions and has to be shut down, many prior artproduct diversion systems cannot automatically cope with this suddenchange in conditions. Prior art systems do not automatically detect themalfunction, and do not automatically adjust the product distribution toshut down one outlet line, and redistribute and balance the remainingflow to each of the remaining lines. In such a situation, significantworker time and expertise is required to adjust the entire system toallow the product run to continue. In many cases, this results in downtime for the entire operation.

It would thus be desirable to have a product distribution system thatcan quickly and efficiently divide a stream of long, sticky goods into aplurality of streams without damaging the product. It would also bedesirable to have a product distribution system that can automaticallydetect the malfunction of any of its elements or of product fillingmachines associated with it, and automatically adjust the entire systemto accommodate the malfunction without requiring shut down orsignificant operator attention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide amultipathway product distribution system and method which is suitablefor redirecting long, sticky products without damaging the product.

It is another advantage of this invention to provide a multipathwayproduct distribution system which is less likely to clog or malfunction,and requires less manitenance.

It is another advantage of this invention to provide a multipathwayproduct distribution system which is computer controlled in conjunctionwith a series of container filling machines.

It is another advantage of this invention to provide a multipathwayproduct distribution system and method which can accommodate themalfunction of any one or more container filling machines by redirectingthe product flow to the remaining filling machines without interruptionor operator effort.

The above and other advantages are realized in an apparatus and methodfor dividing a single stream of long, sticky product into a plurality ofproduct streams. The system comprises a product input conduit forproviding a single stream of product, and having a rough portionerdisposed therein for dividing the stream of product into discrete roughportions. The rough portions are then dropped into a first divertermechanism comprised of a reciprocating slide block mechanism, whichselectively directs the rough portions into two outlet streams.Additional diverter mechanisms may be disposed in the outlet streams tofurther divide and redirect the product into any number of final outletstreams, such as four, eight, etc. The final outlet streams are directedthrough conduits toward container filling machines which preciselymeasure the product and place it into containers as desired.

Some of the above advantages are also realized in a multipathway productdistribution system further comprising a computerized logic controllerintegrated into the system. The logic controller can accommodate thefailure of any one or more container filling machines in any combinationby adjusting the motion of the slide blocks and rough portioner to stopflow to any combination of final outlet conduits while maintaininguninterrupted operation of the remainder of the system.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art, based on the following description, takenin combination with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-D provide a schematic diagram of a four branch multipathwayproduct distribution system of the present invention in operationalrelationship to a container filling machine, through each of its fourphases of operation;

FIG. 2 shows a pictorial view of the needle separator of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-sectional pictorial view of a slide blockproduct diverter of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elementsof the present invention will be given numeral designations and in whichthe invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the artto make and use the invention. It is to be understood that the followingdescription is only exemplary of the principles of the presentinvention, and should not be viewed as narrowing the pending claims.

FIGS. 1A-1D provide a schematic diagram of a four outlet multipathwayproduct distribution system 10 according to the present invention. Thesefigures show the system through each of its four phases of operation inrelationship to one product packaging machine 12. Multipathway productdistribution system 10 generally comprises an inlet tube 14, whichreceives the incoming product 16, a rough portioner 18, knife gate 34,first slide block assembly 20, subsequent slide block assemblies 22 and24, and final outlet conduits 28A-D, which will each typically lead to aproduct packaging machine 12, only one of which is shown in FIGS. 1A-D.Inlet 14 is connected to and receives product from mainline 17 by meansof overflow mechanism 15, which is described in more detail below.Product packaging machine 12 may be a bag filler, a tray fillingmachine, or any other suitable packaging machine known to those skilledin the art. Inlet conduit 14 is preferably a 4 ¾″ diameter tube.However, while the various product conduits shown in the attachedfigures, including inlet conduit 14 and final outlet conduits 28A-D, areshown as round in cross-section, it will be apparent that othercross-sectional shapes may also be used without affecting the operationof the system. Likewise, various materials may be used for the conduits,including stainless steel, aluminum, polymers, and so forth.

Rough portioner 18 is disposed within inlet tube 14 as near to its topas practicable, and preferably comprises a needle separator 32 poweredby pneumatic cylinder 36. It will be apparent that other types of roughportioners could be utilized, such as a slide gate, a rotary separator,etc. However, a needle separator is preferred because it is gentle tothe product. The needle separator 32 comprises a plurality of parallelneedles or wires, which are moveable from a first position wherein theneedles extend across the cross-section of the inlet conduit 14, to asecond position wherein the needles are retracted out of the conduit toallow product to pass. Because of the rapidity of its operation, thetimed reciprocation of needle separator 32 is not apparent from FIGS.1A-1D. In each of these figures separator 32 is shown extended, andknife gate 34 is shown retracted.

To measure and dispense a rough portion 46, the pneumatic cylinder 36preferably causes needle separator 32 to rapidly retract from blockingconduit 14 for a brief time, and then extends it again to block theconduit. Naturally, when the separator retracts, product retainedthereabove will begin to fal into conduit 14. Then, when the needles areextended, the stream is blocked again, thus allowing only a discretequantity of product, designated for example at 46, to fall towardopening 49 in the bottom of conduit 14, into aperture 58 a in firstslide block 54 a. It will be apparent that the time interval duringwhich needle separator 32 is retracted will determine the volume of thediscrete quantity. The needle separator also provides the advantage thatthe abrupt beginning and end of its motion tends to shake the product,thus reducing the amount of product that clings or hangs.

Portion 46 is intended to be rough only. Precise measurement anddisbursement of the product is preferably accomplished by productpackaging machine 12. For example, in one configuration of the preferredembodiment of the invention, rough portions 46 comprise approximately 30oz. of spaghetti, while the product packaging machine 12 dispenses moreaccurately measured portions of 9 oz. each.

While the timed retraction and extension of needle separator 32 is thepreferred method of measuring discrete quantities, particularly of longsticky goods such as spaghetti, it will be apparent that other methodsof rough portioning may also be employed. For example, rather than asingle needle separator which measures product by time, a second needleseparator 33 and pneumatic cylinder 37 (shown in phantom lines in FIG.1A) could also be provided some distance d below needle separator 32. Adiscrete portion would be separated by alternately extending andretracting the first and second needle separators 32 and 33, so that aportion of product is first trapped between the needle separators, andthen dropped by the retraction of second needle separator 33 while theremainder of the product flow is retained above needle separator 32. Itwill be apparent that the volume of the discrete quantity would dependupon the diameter of conduit 14 and the distance d between the first andsecond needle separators, which distance could be mechanicallyadjustable, such as by means of a sliding collar or tube.

Located at the bottom of inlet conduit 14 is knife gate 34, powered bypneumatic cylinder 38. This knife gate is preferably placed as near tothe bottom of conduit 14 as possible, and serves to catch and hold slowmoving product to prevent its being damaged in first slide block 20. Forexample, in the case of long sticky product such as spaghetti, whenneedle separator 32 extends and the measured quantity drops, somenoodles will tend to hang down, and others which may be stuck to themmay gradually slide down and then drop off after the first slide blockhas begun its movement. Consequently, these slow moving noodles would bedamaged if not prevented from continuing into opening 49 at the bottomof inlet 14. Accordingly, a substantially solid knife gate 34 isprovided, and may be extended across opening 49 between measurements orwhenever first slide block 54 a is moving. Then, when the next portionis ready to be dropped, the slide gate retracts, allowing the slowmoving product to be swept away by the next rough portion. The inventorshave found that use of the slide gate is generally only necessary whenthe system is operating in a non-standard mode, such as when only threeof four packaging machines are operating, as described below.

Needle separator 32 and knife gate 34 are preferably separated by somedistance h to prevent hanging product from being damaged in first slideblock assembly 20. It will be apparent that distance h will depend onthe nature of the product. For example, with 10″ spaghetti noodles, theinventors have found that a distance of h=20″ is preferable to preventnoodles which hang from separator 32 and other noodles which hang fromthose noodles from dangling down past opening 49.

FIG. 2 provides a pictorial view of needle separator 32. Needleseparator 32 generally comprises a plurality of parallel rods 40 withblunt pointed free ends 41, which are attached at their opposite ends totransverse frame 42. Rods 40 are preferably formed of stainless steel,though other strong metallic and non-metallic materials may also beused, such as aluminum, polymers, etc. Frame 42 is connected topneumatic cylinder 36, which causes the rods to extend or retractthrough manifold 44 as desired from a first extended position whereinrods 40 extend entirely across the opening in inlet conduit 14 to blockthe passage of product 16, to a second position where rods 40 are allretracted out of the conduit to allow product to pass therethrough. InFIG. 2, rods 40 are shown in a position midway between the firstposition and second position.

Each rod in the group of rods 40 is preferably formed to have a lengthapproximately corresponding to the transverse distance across the crosssection of the inlet conduit 14 at the location of the individual rod,so that when the group of rods is extended, pointed free end 41 of eachrod 40 approximately simultaneously arrives at the opposite curvedinside of the conduit. The rods preferably do not actually contact theopposite inside surface of the conduit, but are just clear of thesurface in the extended position. As can be seen, this configurationrequires that each rod be a different length than those on either sideof it, causing the free end of the group of rods 40 to outline asemi-circular shape as shown. The inside surface of conduit 14 oppositemanifold 44 is preferably formed with a plurality of sockets 46, whichare aligned with and receive free ends 41 of rods 40 when extended. Thisconfiguration provides additional support to the rods when extended, andalso helps keep them properly aligned.

Needle separator 32 provides several significant advantages to thepresent invention. Because it is comprised of a plurality of parallelrods with spaces between them, and because the needles are blunt ontheir ends, the separator is gentle to delicate products such as cookednoodles, etc. For example, when separator 32 is retracted, allowingspaghetti to flow through conduit 14, and then is extended through theproduct stream, the needles will thread through the mass of noodles,pushing them aside as needed, without cutting them, as would tend tohappen with a flat plate separator, for example. Then, any noodles thatdangle through the spaces between rods 40 will either stay with the massabove the upper separator, or drop with measured quantity 46, or in thecase of slowly dropping noodles, will be caught by knife gate 34. Byvirtue of this design, the present invention significantly reducesdamage to the product while still handling and portioning it quickly andefficiently.

A detailed, partial cross-sectional pictorial view of a typical slideblock assembly is given in FIG. 3. As shown, each slide block assemblygenerally comprises a housing 48 having an inlet opening 49, firstoutlet opening 50, second outlet opening 52, slide block 54 having afirst aperture 56 and a second aperture 58, and a reciprocal actuationmeans 60 for causing linear reciprocation of the slide block withinhousing 48. Actuation means 60 may be any mechanical orelectromechanical device capable of causing the slide block toreciprocate as required, and as shown herein is preferably a pneumaticcylinder. In FIGS. 1A-D, first slide block assembly 20, second slideblock assembly 22, and third slide block assembly 24 are shown withsimilar numbering, with the designations a, b, and c, respectively.

Slide blocks 54 are preferably formed as a substantially solidrectangular block of material, such as UHMW (Ultra High MolecularWeight) Polyethylene. First and second apertures 56 and 58 extendentirely through the block from the top surface to the bottom, and arepreferably configured to have a size significantly larger than theintended volume of rough portion 46, so that when the rough portion iscontained within an aperture there is less likelihood of damage to theproduct due to the motion of slide block 54. For example, long stickyproducts may tend to stick to the sides of the aperture, and protrudethrough inlet opening 49. When the slide block slides past the inletopening, these long pieces will then be cut by the scissor-like actionof opposite edges of apertures sliding past each other. However, if theaperture is significantly larger than the required volume, the roughportion is more likely to be entirely contained within the aperture,with no product protruding up through the aperture, reducing thelikelihood of damage to the product.

Referring back to FIG. 1A, subsequent slide blocks 22 and 24 have theirinlet openings 49 b and 49 c connected to first and second outletopenings 50 a and 52 a, respectively, of first slide block assembly 20,to create four final outlet streams. In this manner, any number of slideblock assemblies may be similarly interconnected to divide the incomingproduct stream into any number of final streams. As shown in FIG. 1A,the final streams exit through final outlet conduits 28A-D, which couldalternatively be connected to inlets of additional subsequent slideblock assemblies for further division of the product stream.

Second and third slide block assemblies 22 and 24 are preferablyprovided with jets 118A-D, positioned above outlet conduits 28A-D. Thesejets are provided to inject a fluid stream 19, depicted in FIG. 1A insecond aperture 58 b of second slide block 54 b. Fluid stream 19 maycomprise hot or cold water, air, or other gas, depending on the product,to help eject portion 46 from aperture 56 or 58 at the appropriate time.These jets may also be used to flush clogs. Similar jets, though notshown, may also be provided with first slide block assembly 20 to assistin moving the product along or to flush clogs.

FIGS. 1A-1D show the preferred four outlet multipathway productdistribution system 10 in each of its four phases of operation. In thefollowing description of these phases of operation, each slide blockwill be referred to as having a first position when disposed at the leftside of the corresponding housing, and a second position when disposedat the right side of the housing. In FIG. 1A, first slide block 54 a isshown in its first position, second slide block 54 b in its secondposition, and third slide block 54 c in its second position. Firstaperture 56 a of first slide block 54 a is disposed below the lower endof inlet conduit 14, and second aperture 58 a is disposed above secondoutlet opening 52 a. In operation, rough portion 46 drops into secondaperture 58 a, and a previous rough portion 46 a, which was previouslydeposited in first aperture 56 a, simultaneously drops through firstoutlet 50 a, through inlet 49 b of second slide block assembly 22, andinto first aperture 56 b, disposed therebelow. Also simultaneously,another rough portion 46 b, previously deposited in second aperture 58 cof third slide block 54 c drops therefrom and into final outlet conduit28D, toward product packaging machine 12. This is phase one.

Phase two is depicted in FIG. 1B. Between phase one and phase two, firstslide block 54 a moves from its first position to its second position,second slide block 54 b moves from its second position to its firstposition, and third slide block 54 c remains in its second position, asin phase one. Simultaneously, the rough portioner measures another roughportion 46 c, which drops into first aperture 56 a, now disposed belowinlet conduit 14. Rough portion 46, previously deposited in secondaperture 58 a drops into first aperture 56 c of third slide block 54 c,and rough portion 46 a, previously deposited in first aperture 56 b ofsecond slide block 54 b drops into final outlet conduit 28A, towardanother final packaging machine (not shown). This is phase two.

Phase three is depicted in FIG. 1C. Between phase two and phase three,first slide block 54 a moves from its second position back to its firstposition, second slide block 54 b remains in its first position as inphase two, and third slide block 54 c moves from its second positionback to its first position. Simultaneously, again, the rough portionermeasures another rough portion 46 d, which drops into second aperture 58a, again disposed below inlet conduit 14. Rough portion 46 c, previouslydeposited in first aperture 56 a drops into second aperture 58 b ofsecond slide block 54 b, and rough portion 46, previously deposited infirst aperture 56 c of third slide block 54 c drops into final outletconduit 28C, toward another final packaging machine (not shown). This isphase three.

Phase four is depicted in FIG. 1D. Between phase three and phase four,first slide block 54 a moves from its first position to its secondposition, second slide block 54 b moves from its first position to itssecond position, and third slide block 54 c remains in its firstposition, as in phase three. Simultaneously, the rough portionermeasures another rough portion 46 e, which drops into first aperture 56a, now disposed below inlet conduit 14. Rough portion 46 d, previouslydeposited in second aperture 58 a drops into second aperture 58 c ofthird slide block 54 c, and rough portion 46 c, previously deposited insecond aperture 58 b of second slide block 54 b drops into final outletconduit 28B, toward a fourth final packaging machine (not shown). Thisis phase four.

Following phase four, the apparatus returns to the condition of phaseone, portion 46 d takes the place of portion 46 b, dropping throughfinal outlet conduit 28D, portion 46 e takes the place of portion 46 a,dropping into first aperture 56 b of second slide block 54 b, and asubsequent portion (not shown) is measured and dropped into secondaperture 58 a of first slide block 54 a. Thereupon, the process repeatsitself, continually and sequentially measuring and dispensing roughportions into each of the four final outlet conduits.

The coordinated operation of needle separator 32 and each of the slideblock assemblies 20, 22, and 24, is controlled by controller 80, whichprecisely controls the speed, timing, direction, and all other aspectsof motion of the slide blocks and separators. Controller 80 ispreferably a programmable logic controller, or PLC, which incorporates aprogrammable and replaceable program chip so that the program may bealtered from time to time as needed. For example, adjustment of thespeed, timing, etc. of the slide blocks and other components may berequired following conversion to a different product, expansion of thesystem, or conversion to different types of packaging machines.

To facilitate operation of the system, sensors and detectors of varioustypes are desirable. For example, product sensor 82 (or more than onesuch sensor) may be disposed within inlet conduit 14 to allow controller80 to cause the system to operate only when product is available,reducing needless wear on the machine. Other sensors may also beprovided as desired, and one skilled in the art may devise anysensor/detector system to allow precise control of the system. Forexample, product sensors 84, similar to product sensor 82 may bedisposed in inlet tube 86 of product measuring and packaging machine 12to detect whether additional product is needed. Sensor 84 may send asignal to controller 80 if product accumulated in inlet tube 86 becomestoo much or too little, causing the timing of needle separator 32 tochange to allow more or less product to be dispensed to thecorresponding outlet conduit 28. It will be apparent that controller 80may independently adjust the timing of the needle separator 30 for eachproduct packaging machine, thus allowing the system to accommodateproduct packaging machines with different capacities, whetherintentional or not. Other sensors (not shown) may be associated with theproduct measuring and packaging machine 12 to detect whether it isoperating properly, and sensors may also be provided to detect theprecise position and fimction of slide blocks 54, needle separator 32,and knife gate 34 for the same purposes.

Product measuring and packaging machine 12 is also provided with a sendproduct button 85. The sensors and send product button are connected tocontroller 80 by communication lines 88. Controller 80 is electricallyconnected to an actuator drive means 90 for powering actuators 36, 38,and 60. In the preferred embodiment, actuator drive means 90 comprises apneumatic power source (i.e. a compressor) and is connected to pneumaticcylinders 36, 38, and 60 by high pressure pneumatic lines 92. Drivemeans 90 also preferably contains appropriate electronically controlledvalves, etc. so that actuators 36, 38, and 60 may be controlled based onsignals transmitted from controller 80. While a pneumatic system ispresently preferred, other mechanical or electromechanical actuationsystems may be employed. For example, rather than pneumatic cylinders,actuators 36, 38, and 60 may comprise servo motors, and drive means 90may comprise an electric power source. In such a system, controller 80directs current from the power source to each of the servos as needed tocause the required motion. As yet another alternative, the system mayuse hydraulic actuators.

Controller 80 is advantageously configured to adjust the operation ofproduct distribution system 10 to allow for malfunctions in any of itsparts or malfunction of any one or all of the product packaging machines12. By detecting the presence of product in various places within thesystem, and also detecting the proper operation of container fillingmachines 12, controller 80 may prevent product from going down any oneor more final outlet conduits 28A-D if any one or more filling machinesmalfinctions. For example, viewing FIG. 1A, if the container fillingmachine connected to final outlet conduit 28B malfunctions, controller80 will detect this condition, and adjust accordingly. Specifically,assuming the three remaining container filling machines 12 are operatingat full capacity, controller 80 will signal needle separator 32 tohesitate and not drop a rough portion 46 c as depicted in FIG. 1B,because this portion would ultimately be discharged into outlet conduit28B (FIG. 1D). Otherwise, the operation of the system remains the same.It will be apparent that this hesitation will cause the entire system toportion product 25% slower than normal, to account for the 25% loss oftotal capacity. Simultaneously, the controller may also cause slideblocks 54 to alter their timing and motion because portion 46 c does notexist.

Likewise, because distribution system 10 is utilizing product at a rate25% slower than normal in the present example, product will tend to backup in inlet 14. For this reason, an overflow mechanism 15 is disposedupstream of inlet 14, and allows excess product from mainline 17 a toflow past inlet 14 and into mainline 17 b so as to only allow inflowinto the distribution system at a rate consistent with its reducedcapacity. Mainline 17 b is advantageously connected to some means (notshown) for dealing with product overflow, such as an auxiliary productpackaging machine, or a temporary product storage reservoir, or a wastereceptacle, for example.

The inventors have found, however, that for many product packagingoperations it is desirable to only have three of four packaging machinesrunning at any given time, and to send product to the distributionsystem at that rate, thus producing no waste. Having only three of fourpackaging machines operating at any given time allows maintenancepersonnel to load new packaging material, and then test and calibratethe fourth machine without interruption to the overall operation. Then,when the fourth machine is ready to come on line, one of the other threeis ready to be taken off line for the same maintenance, and so forth.

To place a product filling machine 12 on-line while the productdistribution system 10 is operating, the operator first starts thepackaging machine to verify that it is operating properly. This mayinvolve the production of a few empty packages, which are normallydiscarded. The operator then presses the send product button 85, whichsignals the controller 80 to adjust the motion of the rough portioner 18so that product is sent down the outlet 28 corresponding to thepackaging machine. To take a packaging machine off line, the operatorpresses the send product button 85 again, which stops any additionalproduct from entering the corresponding outlet conduit 28. The packagingmachine may then be run until the product which has accumulated in inlettube 86 has been used up.

With the system 10 as shown in FIG. 1A, with first slide block 54 a inits first position, second slide block 54 b in its second position, andthird slide block 54 c in its second position, the adjusted operationwill proceed as follows. First slide block 54 a will slide to its secondposition, dropping a measured quantity into first aperture 56 c of thirdslide block 54 c, and second slide block 54 b will move to its firstposition, dropping a measured portion into final outlet 28A. Immediatelythereafter, a new measured portion will drop from conduit 14 into firstaperture 56 a of first slide block 54 a, and second slide block 54 bwill return to its second position. This is phase one.

At the beginning of phase two, first slide block 54 a returns to itsfirst position, dropping a measured portion into the first aperture 56 bof the second slide block, and simultaneously receiving a new measuredportion from inlet 14 into second aperture 58 a. At the same time, thirdslide block 54 c moves to its first position, and a measured quantity isdropped into outlet C. This is phase two.

Finally, in phase three, first slide block 54 a moves back to its secondposition, and third slide block 54 c moves to its second position,dropping a measured quantity into outlet D, and receiving a measuredquantity into first aperture 56 c from second aperture 58 a in the firstslide block 54 a. Immediately thereafter, first slide block 54 a willreturn to its first position before receiving another measured quantity.This is phase three, and the cycle then repeats itself.

When operating in a non-standard mode, portioning mechanism 18 maymaintain a uniform rate of operation at 75% of the normal rate, or itmay pause in its cadence depending on which outlets are active. As notedabove, knife gate 34 will close during such pauses to prevent damage tothe product. Likewise, the motion of the various slide blocks willchange during non-standard operation, as described above, so as toprevent the distribution of product into the inactive outlet. By thischange in operation, a rough portion will not be separated and droppedinto conduit B as in the normal operating sequence, advantageouslyallowing the packaging machine 12 connected thereto to be serviced orotherwise dealt with, while the packaging operation goes onuninterrupted.

The system thus described allows the efficient and rapid handling oflong, sticky, fragile goods. It will be apparent, however, that thesystem as described is not limited to long goods, and may also beadvantageously used with short goods such as maccaroni, penne noodles,orzo, etc. In an operative example of the system, the inventors havetested a complete system configured to distribute cooked spaghetti intofour packaging machines configured to precisely measure and package thespaghetti into 9 oz. portions. The needle separator 32 and slide blockassemblies 20, 22, and 24 were configured to measure out rough portionsof approximately 30 oz. With the needle separator operating to producethese rough portions at 80 cycles/min., the entire system was able toproduce 67 portions/min. per filling machine, or 268 portions/min.total. The inventors were able to maintain this production rate whilesimultaneously experiencing less than 2% damage to the product, which iswell within acceptable range.

This product distribution system and method disclosed hereinadvantageously allows for diversion of product to multiple outlets whilehandling the product gently, and also allows for any one or more outletsto be automatically skipped during the operation of the machine.Accordingly, its operation meets the twin requirements of speed and lackof damage to the product. It is also very flexible and requires very lowmaintenance. It is to be understood that the above-describedarrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principlesof the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternativearrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention and theappended claims are intended to cover such modifications andarrangements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multipathway product distribution systemcomprising: a) a product inlet configured for receiving a single streamof product, the product inlet comprising a generally vertical conduithaving an outlet; b) a rough portioner configured for dividing thestream of product into discrete portions; c) a diverter configured fordirecting the discrete portions into a plurality of final outletstreams; and wherein the rough portioner comprises: d) a needleseparator having an actuator, disposed toward the top of the verticalconduit, comprising a plurality of generally horizontal parallel needlesconfigured to reciprocate from a first position wherein the needlesextend across the inside of the inlet conduit to substantially blockpassage of product therethrough, to a second retracted position whereinthe needles do not extend across the inside of the inlet conduit; and e)whereby a discrete quantity of product may be allowed to drop toward theoutlet of the inlet conduit depending upon to the length of time duringwhich the needle separator is retracted.
 2. The system of claim 1,further comprising: a) a knife gate having an actuator, disposed belowthe needle separator and above the outlet of the inlet conduit, andconfigured to selectively reciprocate from a first position wherein theknife gate extends across the inside of the inlet conduit to blockpassage of product therethrough, to a second retracted position whereinthe inside of the inlet conduit is not blocked; and b) whereby productis prevented from entering the diverter when the knife gate is in theextended position.
 3. A multipathway product distribution systemcomprising: a) a product inlet configured for receiving a single streamof product, the product inlet comprising a generally vertical conduithaving an outlet; b) a rough portioner configured for dividing thestream of product into discrete portions; c) a diverter configured fordirecting the discrete portions into a plurality of final outletstreams; and wherein the rough portioner comprises: d) first and secondneedle separators, disposed one above the other, comprising a pluralityof generally horizontal parallel needles configured to reciprocate froma first position wherein the needles extend across the inside of theinlet conduit to substantially block passage of product therethrough, toa second retracted position wherein the needles do not extend across theinside of the inlet conduit; and e) first and second actuators, forcausing independent horizontal reciprocation of the first and secondneedle separators, whereby a discrete quantity of product may be trappedbetween the first and second needle separators and then dropped towardthe outlet of the inlet conduit by retracting the lower of the twoseparators.
 4. A multipathway product distribution system comprising: a)a product inlet configured for receiving a single stream of product, theproduct inlet comprising a generally vertical conduit having an outlet;b) a rough portioner configured for dividing the stream of product intodiscrete portions; c) a diverter configured for directing the discreteportions into a plurality of final outlet streams; and wherein thediverter comprises: d) first, second, and third slide block assemblies,each having an inlet and first and second outlets; and e) wherein theinlet of the first slide block assembly is connected to the outlet ofthe inlet conduit, the inlet of the second slide block assembly isconnected to the first outlet of the first slide block assembly, theinlet of the third slide block assembly is connected to the secondoutlet of the first slide block assembly, and the first and secondoutlets of the second and third slide block assemblies are connected toeach of four final outlet conduits, respectively.
 5. The system of claim4, wherein the slide block assemblies each further comprise: a) ahousing, having the inlet disposed in a top thereof, and the first andsecond outlets disposed in a bottom thereof; b) a reciprocable slideblock, disposed within the housing, formed of a substantially solidblock of material, having a top, a bottom, and first and secondapertures extending through the block from the top to the bottom; and c)a slide block actuator, for causing the slide block to reciprocatewithin the housing from a first position wherein the first aperture ofthe slide block is disposed above the fist outlet and the secondaperture is disposed below the inlet, to a second position wherein thefirst aperture is disposed below the inlet and the second aperture isdisposed above the second outlet.
 6. The system of claim 5, furthercomprising downwardly directed fluid jets disposed in the top of eachhousing opposite the first and second outlets, to allow selectiveinjection of fluid into the first or second aperture when disposedthereunder, to thereby help push the product out of said aperture andinto the corresponding first or second outlet.
 7. A multipathway productdistribution system comprising: a) product inlet configured forreceiving a single stream of product; b) a rough portioner configuredfor dividing the stream of product into discrete portions; c) a diverterconfigured for directing the discrete portions into a plurality of finaloutlet streams; d) container fillers, connected to each of the pluralityof final outlet streams, for precisely measuring the product and placingit into containers; e) a sensor, configured for sensing the functioningof the container fillers; and f) a controller, configured for receivingand processing signals from the sensor and adjusting the functioning ofthe rough portioner, the diverter, and the container fillers accordingto said signals, so as to selectively cause or prevent rough portions ofproduct from entering any of the final outlet conduits.
 8. The system ofclaim 7, further comprising sensors for detecting the presence ofproduct in conduits within the system, and for sending signalsindicative thereof to the controller.
 9. The system of claim 8, whereinthe sensors for detecting the presence of product in conduits within thesystem comprise at least sensors for detecting product within each ofthe final outlet conduits adjacent to the container fillers.
 10. Thesystem of claim 7, wherein the controller comprises a microprocessor.11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises aprogrammable logic controller.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein theprogrammable logic controller comprises a programmable and removableprogram chip, whereby control programs may be selectively changed.
 13. Amultipathway product distribution system comprising: a) a generallyvertical product inlet conduit having an outlet, for receiving a singlestream of product; b) a rough portioner, disposed within the inletconduit above the outlet, for dividing the single stream of product intodiscrete portions, comprising: 1) a needle separator having an actuator,disposed toward the top of the vertical conduit, comprising a pluralityof generally horizontal parallel needles configured to reciprocate froma first position wherein the needles extend across the inside of theinlet conduit to substantially block passage of product therethrough, toa second retracted position wherein the needles do not extend across theinside of the inlet conduit; and 2) whereby a discrete quantity ofproduct may be allowed to drop toward the outlet of the inlet conduitdepending upon to the length of time during which the needle separatoris retracted; c) a diverter for directing the discrete portions into aplurality of outlet streams, comprising: 1) first, second, and thirdslide block assemblies, each slide block assembly comprising: 1) ahousing having an inlet on a top thereof, and first and second outletsdisposed in a bottom thereof; 2) a slide block disposed within thehousing, formed of a substantially solid block of material, having atop, a bottom, and first and second apertures extending through theblock from the top to the bottom; 3) a slide block actuator for causingthe slide block to reciprocate within the housing from a first positionwherein the first aperture of the slide block is disposed above the fistoutlet and the second aperture is disposed below the inlet, to a secondposition wherein the first aperture is disposed below the inlet and thesecond aperture is disposed above the second outlet; and 2) wherein theinlet of the first slide block assembly is connected to the outlet ofthe inlet conduit, the inlet of the second slide block assembly isconnected to the first outlet of the first slide block assembly, theinlet of the third slide block assembly is connected to the secondoutlet of the first slide block assembly, and the first and secondoutlets of the second and third slide block assemblies are connected toeach of four final outlet conduits, respectively; d) a knife gate havingan actuator, disposed below the needle separator and above the outlet ofthe inlet conduit, and configured to selectively reciprocate from afirst position wherein the knife gate extends across the inside of theinlet conduit to block passage of product therethrough, to a secondretracted position wherein the inside of the inlet conduit is notblocked, whereby product is prevented from entering the diverter whenthe knife gate is in the extended position; e) container fillersconnected to the each of the four final outlet conduits for preciselymeasuring the product and placing it into containers; f) sensors forsensing the functioning of the container fillers, and for at leastdetecting product in each of the four final outlet conduits adjacent tothe container fillers; and g) a microprocessor controller for receivingand processing signals from the sensors and adjusting the timing ofmotion of the needle separator, and the first, second, and third slideblocks according to said signals so as to selectively cause or preventrough portions of product from entering any of the final outletconduits.
 14. A method of dividing a single stream of long, stickyproduct into a plurality of product streams, comprising the steps of: a)receiving a single stream of product in a generally vertical inletconduit having an outlet; b) roughly dividing the single stream ofproduct into discrete portions; c) selectively directing the discreteportions of product into a plurality of final outlet streams; d)directing the plurality of outlet streams to a corresponding pluralityof container filling machines; e) precisely measuring the product andplacing it into containers; wherein the step of roughly dividing thesingle stream of product into discrete portions further comprises thesteps of: f) extending a needle separator, comprising a plurality ofgenerally horizontal reciprocable parallel needles, across the inletconduit to substantially block passage of product therethrough; g)retracting the needle separator for a brief period of time, therebyallowing product to flow past the needle separator toward the outlet ofthe inlet conduit; and h) forming a discrete portion by extending theneedle separator across the inlet conduit through the mass of flowingproduct, to thereby substantially stop passage of additional product andseparate a discrete portion below the needle separator from that portionstopped above.
 15. A method of dividing a single stream of long, stickyproduct into a plurality of product streams, comprising the steps of: a)receiving a single stream of product in a generally vertical inletconduit having an outlet; b) roughly dividing the single stream ofproduct into discrete portions; c) selectively directing the discreteportions of product into a plurality of final outlet streams; whereinthe step of roughly dividing the single stream of product into discreteportions further comprises the steps of: d) extending a first needleseparator, comprising a plurality of generally horizontal reciprocableparallel needles, across the inlet conduit to substantially blockpassage of product therethrough; e) forming a discrete portion ofproduct, by extending a second needle separator disposed above the firstneedle separator and comprising a plurality of generally horizontalreciprocable parallel needles, across the inlet conduit so as to passthrough the product, and divide the product above the first needleseparator and below the second needle separator from the product abovethe second needle separator; and f) retracting the first needleseparator, to allow the discrete portion to drop toward the outlet ofthe inlet conduit.
 16. A method of dividing a single stream of long,sticky product into a plurality of product streams, comprising the stepsof: a) receiving a single stream of product in a generally verticalinlet conduit having an outlet; b) roughly dividing the single stream ofproduct into discrete portions; c) selectively directing the discreteportions of product into a plurality of final outlet streams; whereinthe step of selectively directing the discrete portions of product intoa plurality of outlet streams further comprises the steps of: d)dropping the discrete portion into an inlet of a first slide blockassembly, having first and second outlets; and e) actuating the firstslide block assembly, to cause the discrete portion to drop througheither the first or second outlet; and wherein the step of selectivelydirecting the discrete portions of product into a plurality of outletstreams further comprises the steps of: f) dropping the discrete portionfrom either the first or second outlet of the first slide block assemblyinto an inlet of one or more subsequent slide block assemblies having aninlet and first and second outlets; and g) actuating the one or moresubsequent slide block assemblies to cause the discrete portion to dropthrough either the first or second outlet thereof.
 17. A method ofdividing a single stream of long, sticky product into a plurality ofproduct streams, comprising the steps of: a) receiving a single streamof product in a generally vertical inlet conduit having an outlet; b)roughly dividing the single stream of product into discrete portions; c)selectively directing the discrete portions of product into a pluralityof final outlet streams; d) directing the plurality of outlet streams toa corresponding plurality of container filling machines; e) preciselymeasuring the product and placing it into containers; f) sensing thefunctioning of the container filling means, and producing signalsindicative of said functioning; and g) adjusting the functioning of therough portioning means and the diverter means based upon said signals,according to a preprogrammed logic algorithm, so as to selectively causeor prevent rough portions of product from entering any one or more ofthe final outlet streams, or to modify the size of the rough portions.18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of modifying thepreprogrammed logic algorithm to selectively vary the method of dividingthe single stream of long, sticky product into a plurality of productstreams.